The Adventures of Bandit and Boomerang Boy
by DeclanTheMetaphysicalBanana
Summary: Trashy, shippy and generally silly nonsense featuring everyone's favorite pairing, Tokka! Mostly daily updates! Making this a TOKKA 100 run, lets see how far we get. Please review! It keeps me going! #14 Through the Fire: "You're late," Lao Beifong said, matter-of-factly, addressing Toph and completely ignoring Sokka. Toph's grip on Sokka's hand tightened. "We got held up."
1. Small

And so begins my ill-fated Tokka journey.

 **Prompt 1: Small (#40)**

Set while they're undercover in the Fire Nation.

* * *

"Mmm."

Toph and Sokka wandered the quiet streets of the small village in relative silence. The group made a stop to rest and resupply, with Aang and Katara taking charge of the shopping, leaving the dynamic duo to explore the village in search of entertainment. Turns out the village did not have anything particularly interesting to offer, aside from a roast meat stall from which Sokka bought two shish kebabs for the pair to enjoy.

"This is pretty good," Toph mumbled through a mouthful of tender roast beef. She licked her lips clean of sauce, and smiled contently. "Yep. Pre-tty good."

"Mhmm." Sokka nodded sagely, polishing off the last bit of meat still stuck to the skewer then passing the spike to Toph. "Wanna bend these?"

"Sure, I guess." Toph took the skewers, and making sure that no one was watching, concentrated on finding the impurities in the metal - then she twisted the skewers into a loop and with an earth-bending boosted jump, placed the loop onto Sokka's head like a circlet. "A crown, for the princess." She grinned.

"Very funny, Toph." Sokka grumbled, though he found it hard to suppress a smile at the friendly ribbing. Looking down at the pillar of earth that Toph used to jump up, however, Sokka had a sudden epiphany.

"Wait, Toph."

Toph stopped, sensing the suddenness in his tone. She tensed up as well, preparing to drop into an earthbending stance. "What?"

"Hold still for a minute." Sokka said seriously, inching closer towards the girl. "I need to check something."

"Check what?" Toph asked, anxious as her seismic sense returned nothing suspicious. Whatever Sokka spotted, she couldn't defend against it until it made its move. "What is it?"

Sokka swallowed, his hand reaching out slowly as sweat beaded on his forehead.

 _Tap_

Sokka patted Toph on the top of her head.

"Huh. I never noticed but you're really small."

 _CRUNCH!_

"Agh!"

Toph glared down at Sokka, whom she had buried up to the neck underground with a stomp of her foot. "Excuse me?" She snapped, testily.

 _As they say - In for a copper, in for a gold…_ Sokka gulped as he stared up at the angry earthbender. "Well, I, uh, couldn't help but notice that you barely come up to my chest- eep!"

A heavy stone, larger than a watermelon, slammed down inches from Sokka's head, and sweat started rolling down his forehead. "Wait-! Just hear me out, Toph!"

Toph raised an eyebrow in her best _continue, but know that I'm moments from kicking your ass even harder_ face.

"What I _meant_ to say, is that you're really small—!" Sokka's eyes widened as the earth swallowed his neck, leaving his chin just barely above ground. "Just let me finish! Please don't hurt me!"

His heart hammered with fear, even though he knew that Toph wouldn't _really_ hurt him.

…Probably.

…right?

Toph narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but didn't do anything more to the poor boy.

"But! But! Even though you're really small, you kick all kinds of ass!" Sokka blurted out, looking at Toph hopefully. Toph had a thoughtful look on her face, and she tapped the ground lightly with a foot, causing Sokka to rise out of his earth prison slightly.

"Go on," Toph grinned, seeing where this was going. She enjoyed praise - maybe even enough to forgive Sokka for calling her small in the first place.

"You're the best earthbender this side of Ba Sing Se," Sokka continued, emboldened by the feeling of the pressure on his ribcage easing. "You've fought - and beaten - men that are like four times your size, without even breaking a sweat."

"I am pretty awesome, if I do say so myself," Toph smirked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I just find it amazing," Sokka said, growing more confident as he continued to rise from the ground. "Even though you're small, you've done so many incredible things. Teaching the Avatar, fighting against the fire nation, saving lives - my life - too many times to count."

"I just… wanted to say that you're an incredible person, Toph. I'm glad we've got you on the team." With a _pop_ , Sokka was freed from his earthen confines, leaving him sprawled on the ground in front of Toph. Toph looked away pointedly from Sokka, trying to hide the wide smile that she bore on her face. That, and the beginnings of a faint blush. Can't have Sokka seeing _that_.

"I guess that wasn't so bad." Toph said, maintaining an air of indifference while offering a hand for Sokka to pull himself up with. "Y'know, not that I care about what you think or anything. Alright, get back up you idiot, we need to get back to the lovebirds."

"Hey," Sokka grumbled, though accepting the helping hand. "Please don't talk about my sister like that. Not an image I need in my mind."

"Pfft." Toph punched Sokka playfully in the shoulder. "Get used to it. It's not like they're even trying to hide it anymore."

"Ouch…" Sokka rubbed the shoulder gingerly, but otherwise didn't respond - he was thinking. A rare occurrence for Sokka, yes, but it did happen occasionally. The two continued on their way, headed now towards where they had left Appa and the rest of their supplies.

After a long period of silence, Sokka mumbled, "…Being tiny makes you look pretty cute, too…"

Toph's cheeks flushed bright red.

* * *

 _Some Time Later..._

"Where did Sokka go?" Aang looked up from the packing he and Katara was doing to find Toph strolling up to the group from town. "I thought he went into town with you?"

Toph blushed and looked away, her foot scraping the ground. "Oh… y'know how Sokka goes. He's probably napping somewhere."

* * *

Crickets chirped, and the cool night breeze swept gently through the empty streets.

"...Hello? Toph? Anyone?"

Sokka sighs, resting his face against the cold dirt imprisoning him. "...I thought that was pretty smooth..."


	2. Moonlight

**Prompt 2: Moonlight (#34)**

A/N: This prompt writes itself. Enjoy a more steam-of-consciousness style piece. Set some point after the final battle, with the Gaang back together for another adventure. This one is quite long because I just let myself run with it.

* * *

It's not the first time that Sokka's late-night excursions disturbed Toph's sleep. It comes with the seismic sense - helpful for seeing while blind. Not so much for tuning things out while sleepy.

It's almost always the same, no matter what they do during the day or where they camp out. He'll settle into his sleeping bag, but not go to sleep. His heartbeat evens out and his breathing slows to a crawl, but he's still - too still. Sleeping people shift and toss about in their bedrolls, but Sokka just lies there quietly, uncharacteristically so.

The first time it happened, Toph almost panicked thinking something had happened to Sokka. She sat up in her earth tent, her own heart hammering because to her senses, Sokka had fallen into an unnatural slumber. She would have cried out, almost waking the others, if Sokka hadn't inched over and put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine, Toph. I'm sorry I worried you." He mumbled, his low, rumbling voice immediately soothing Toph's anxiety. She brushed it off, claiming that she didn't really care at all, but the gratitude in Sokka's voice was nice nonetheless. She could imagine the wry smile Sokka had when he nodded along her claims, then telling her to go back to sleep.

"It's late," he said, "we'll need to be fresh tomorrow."

He didn't sleep that night.

She began counting the nights where he didn't sleep.

Once per month, she counted. Once every month Sokka would lie sleepless at night, then rise from his sleeping bag and quietly - more quietly than Toph knew Sokka could be - make his way out of the campsite.

It coincides with the full moon, too.

Eventually, after carefully asking Aang and Katara, Toph figured out that Sokka stayed up to speak to Yue. His first loved one. She felt vibrations through the ground but didn't know what they were; now she knows that they are the quiet murmurs of Sokka to his lost love.

She didn't know how to make of it at first. Jealousy? Toph never knew Yue, but from how Aang and Katara spoke of her, she sounds like a wonderful woman. Besides, Toph is well over that phase when Sokka was with Suki. She recognizes now that Sokka, despite all his dumb, silly, wonderful flaws, has quite the way with the ladies, and she'll just have to trust that he's just as head-over-heels for her as she is for him.

Toph settled on reverence. Yue holds a special place in Sokka's heart, and for good reason. She saved the world, by sacrificing herself. Toph can respect a woman with that kind of resolve. Toph decided to stay silent about it, to watch over Sokka when he speaks to Yue. She latches onto the gentle humming of his words, making sure they go uninterrupted by anything.

But this night - this night Toph is restless. It has not been a good day for her. They are all tired and sore from a day of fleeing from rebel soldiers, battered from skirmish after skirmish, and on top of it all, Sokka acted odd for most of the day. His heartbeat fluctuated, like he couldn't make up his mind on something, and it reflected on his behaviour, which was standoffish and somewhat unpleasant. He wasn't rude, or hurtful - just careful, is how Toph would describe it.

As expected on a night of a full moon, Sokka rises from his sleeping bag and carefully picks his way though the campsite, his footsteps just barely registering on Toph's senses. Rustle. Rustle. Thump - he sits down a short distance from camp. Toph can imagine him seating himself in the middle of a forest clearing, with a clear view of the sky, where the full moon would be in view.

The speaking starts, inaudible but passing through the ground as gentle murmurs. But this time, it's more urgent. Usually Sokka speaks in languid, calm tones, but now he's speaking in a rushed, quick manner, the vibrations quick and angry.

Toph can't help but wonder if it's something she did - she always pushes Sokka's boundaries, trying to see how far she can push him before she's forced to retreat. With only a little guilt, she wonders if she might have pushed him a little too far, and Sokka is venting to Yue this night.

Soon, though, the angry humming quiets down to a calm bubbling. Sokka's calmed down - for whatever reason.

Footsteps approaching. Toph closes her eyes, knowing that Sokka's talk with Yue has come to an end once again.

"Toph…" Sokka kneels down beside her, his normally loud voice barely a whisper in the night. Like a cool breeze, Sokka's words blow over Toph's ears.

"I'm awake."

"I know." Sokka says, taking her hand. Toph's heart skips a beat, even after all this time they've spent with each other, first as friends, then more recently, as partners. His hand is cooler than hers, and Toph squeezes his hand, sitting up. "You… know what I do these nights, right?"

"Of course I do, stupid," Toph can't help but sneak one in, despite the seriousness of Sokka's voice. It's in her nature, and Sokka doesn't seem to be annoyed. He ruffles her hair with his other hand, helping his girlfriend up to her feet outside of the earth tent. "You're talking. To her."

"Right, right." Sokka scratches the back of his head, slightly awkwardly. Despite all his romantics, Sokka still isn't the best at social situations - for which Toph is grateful, because neither is she. "Of course you know."

"Yep." There's a moment of silence as the two stand there, surrounded by the cool night air, drinking in the sound of chirping crickets, and the rustling of grass and leaves in the gentle wind. A cat-owl calls in the distance. "So…"

"So." Sokka's grip grows firm - not tight, just firm. Toph can sense a slight dampness in his palm, and his heartbeat is quickened - he's nervous. "Do you… want to come with?"

"Yeah." Toph nods, before adding on slightly hastily, "I'd be honored."

She's nervous too - Sokka doesn't need earthbending senses to feel the slight tremble in her. For a strong willed girl like Toph, shaking is not something Sokka sees from her often. He puts an arm around her comfortingly, and she leans into the taller water tribe boy, sharing their body heat. He breathes in deeply, slightly nervously. "You'll like her. She's cool."

"Mhmm." Guiding her by the shoulder, Sokka brings Toph past the sleeping Appa - with Aang and Katara entwined at his side - into the woods. Twigs and dry leaves crack underfoot, and the couple are silent as they slowly walk to their destination. Silent, but not separated - with every squeeze of a hand, and nudge of a shoulder, the two experienced companions communicate volumes with the slightest of gestures.

"We're here Toph." Sokka says, quietly. Toph puts her hands under the pair, and a smoothly curved slab of stone rises from the ground, forming perfect seats. They sit, automatically leaning against each other, hands interlinked, Toph draping one leg over Sokka's lap. It's an odd posture, but she finds it comfortable, so Sokka tolerates it.

Toph, by habit, has her eyes to the ground, but Sokka gently cups her chin and directs her gaze skywards. She feels the glow, even if she can't see it. "…Is that her?"

"Yeah." Sokka says. His tone is mixed - happiness, sadness, acceptance, regret, bitter melancholy.

Toph nods slowly. "She's beautiful."

Sokka looks down at Toph, the question clear even when unspoken. "There's a feeling. Crisp, clear and calm. Like… drinking a serene fountain. It sparkles, but is still at the same time. Beautiful."

"Huh." Sokka breathes, and Toph has the feeling that he has a faint smile on his face. He, too, looks up to the sky. "That sounds like Yue alright."

"Mhmm." The two sit there for a while, not really responding, just basking in the dappled moonlight. Eventually Toph nudges Sokka in the side.

Sokka starts, stroking Toph's shoulder. "Oh, right. Let's do this then." He takes a deep breath. "Hey, Yue. I'm back."

He stops for a moment, his head cocked to one side as though straining to listen to a distant sound. Toph suspects, despite him not having the sharpest of senses, that he truly does hear Yue's lunar call.

"I brought company." Sokka says. "She's… the one I've been talking about. Worried about."

Worried? Toph doesn't turn to look - there's not point - but she does stiffen slightly. "I thought maybe… so soon after Suki, that I was rushing things."

"I thought maybe I should take it easy. Go home, spend time with my dad and Gran-Gran." Sokka chuckles softly. "I'm a war hero, after all. I deserve some rest. Spirits know I need it."

"After Suki… you know… It was really rough. I couldn't sleep. I didn't have the strength to move or eat or do _anything_. The weight of the world just sort of… crushed down on me. I couldn't breathe, almost. I felt like I was in this alone, without any hope of help…"

Toph rests her head against Sokka's shoulder - a sign of solidarity. She understands. She's there for him. He squeezes her hand appreciatively.

"But then, just like how she punched her way into our lives in the very beginning - this proud, ferocious, beautiful earthbender punched her way into my heart." Toph's heart flutters again, feeling herself melt slightly - sometimes she forgets that Sokka is a natural poet.

"Toph." It's a simple word, but it communicates so much. A prompt for her to speak. An expression of all his love for her. A promise. A praise. A name.

"Hi, Yue. I'm Toph." She falters, uncertain as to how to continue.

"Just be yourself. She'll appreciate it." Sokka murmurs in her ear, quietly, gently.

Nodding, Toph continues, "So… I hope you're okay that I'm dating your boyfriend now."

She pauses for a moment. She swears that she feels a ripple - an affirmation - through her feet.

"I've heard a lot about you. You're a hero. You basically saved all our sorry asses…" Toph stops, feeling as though she shouldn't be this crass in front of a princess, let alone a spirit. "You saved us all. By giving up your only chance at living a happy life on this world."

"I… don't think I can do as much." Toph says, her gaze slowly lowering to the ground. "I just… I love life. I love the world. I love… I love Sokka. Too much to give it all up."

It's Sokka's turn to feel butterflies in his stomach now, listening to his usually brash and headstrong girlfriend explain her intimate thoughts.

"I won't say that I know you all that well. But if what I've heard is true, you wouldn't want me to sacrifice myself, anyway." Sokka looks at Toph questioningly. "You want Sokka to be happy, right?"

The moon seems to glow slightly brighter, all the sounds and sensations around the couple growing stronger - but not clashing. They blend together in a harmony of the night.

"I'll protect him." Toph vows, quietly. "He's a clumsy, silly, hopeless dunderhead - so I'll protect him. I'll keep him safe. Make sure he lives a long and happy life until he's gray."

The forest around them rustles from a sweet-scented breeze.

"I'm Toph Beifong, the world's greatest earthbender. It's the least I can do."

The distant forest stream gurgles its approval - and the forest falls silent once more.

Sokka smiles, exhaling deeply, fully relaxing his body. "Guess I was nervous for nothing. Should have had faith she would like you."

"Duh. I'm irresistible." A punch to his shoulder, firm, but communicating a million emotions. Toph leans into him, her breath tickling his cheek. "Time to live up to my promise…"

Sokka chuckles, and turns his head ever so slightly.

Their lips meet, their forms intertwine, and their silhouettes merge into one under the dappled moonlight.


	3. Noisy

**Prompt 3 - Noisy (#45)**

A/N: At some point I'm going to get tired of finding creative ways for Sokka to declare his love. That point isn't for a long while though. Enjoy more mindless fluff. I swear I'll write something of substance eventually.

* * *

Thunder rumbled in the distance, but even the sound of lightning crackling through the air was drowned out by the incessant roar of torrential rainfall beating against the ground. Again and again, tiny droplets struck the earth, each drop insignificant but combining with billions upon billions of other minuscule, microscopic impacts to create a roaring, deafening drumbeat.

Sokka could probably write something philosophical about all that to send to Master Piandao, to show that his teachings had stuck with Sokka, but he had more pressing concerns in mind. Mainly, he and Toph were huddled under a hastily erected earth tent, soaked to the bone, and stuck there until the rain let up.

"WHAT?" Toph was not doing too well with regards to the deafening noise. Her seismic sense may as well be useless with the near constant vibrations from the rain, and her sensitive hearing developed to compensate for her blindness was completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the drumming of the rain.

"I didn't say anything, Toph."

"Oh." Toph paused for a moment. "…what?"

Sokka sighed, and reached over, placing a finger on Toph's lips, hopefully getting the message across. "Shh."

In the darkness of the earth tent, he missed the blush that immediately spread across her cheeks at the contact, though he did notice the slight jump that she tried hard to suppress.

"Oops," He shrank back, immediately self-conscious. "Sorry."

She rubbed at her ears, dimly aware that he apologized. "…S'okay." She muttered, wincing as another round of thunder and roaring rain came pouring down. "Ow."

"You okay?" Sokka put a hand on Toph's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Is it too loud?"

"I can't hear anything… or sense anything." Toph grumbled, hugging her legs. "You sound like a faint buzz against the roaring of the storm. I hate being blind sometimes."

Sokka's mouth parted into a small _o_. Of course. Deprived of the senses she developed specifically to compensate for her lack of sight, Toph must have felt blinder than ever. He nodded quietly, and wrapped an arm around the small girl, pulling her closer until their shoulders touched. Toph tensed up, but acquiesced to Sokka's gentle but insistent pull after a few moments, leaning against him.

"So you can't hear me at all?" Sokka asked, turning to look at Toph. Her face was pale - paler than normal, even, which was surprising considering her usual porcelain complexion. With her clothes wet and clinging to her form, Sokka realized just how small and vulnerable she looked - and must feel. Blinded, deafened, cold, trapped… A surge of protectiveness came over him, and he held her just a little tighter, hoping that his intention could translate to some sort of miracle to help her feel better.

Toph flushed, though willingly nestling closer to the boy. "Save your breath. Whatever dumb thing you have to say, you can probably say it later."

Sokka nodded slowly, his other hand reaching out automatically and brushing a bit of wet hair out of Toph's face. "…Toph?"

She blinked, recognizing her name on a subconscious level. "Yeah?"

"Toph Beifong - I love you." Sokka said, with utmost sincerity and seriousness.

She smiled softly.

"…Okay."

Outside, the rain slowly started to clear.


	4. Seeing Red

**Prompt 4: Seeing Red (#86)**

A/N: From this point on I'm using an adapted list from the 100ThemedChallenge lists.

* * *

The air is hot and dry, laden with ash, burning his lungs as he gasps for breath. His muscles ache from exertion, his leg is broken, and his arm is screaming in pain as suspended off of a tenuous grip is Toph Beifong, master earthbender; and now more than ever, a blind, helpless little girl.

 _"Hang on, Toph—"_

She's not supposed to be a blind, helpless little girl.

 _Boomerang arcs out, catching the first firebender in the neck—_

She's not supposed to be at the mercy of anything.

 _Space sword slices through the walkway in a shower of sparks—_

She's Toph Beifong, greatest earthbender in the world, and yet…

 _"Sokka?"_

Not a question, but an accusation. Her voice quavers, and he realizes the pressure on his arm lifts.

 _"No-"_

The fear in her voice pierces his heart as she loses her last connection to anything. He turns, ignoring the sick crunch as he rolls over his broken leg, arms outstretched. For a moment the tips of their fingers brush, a shock of electricity sending tingles up his arm.

 _She falls._

She falls. He screams. She screams. Framed by the expanding flames, he loses his voice as he watches green disappear into hungry, bloody red. She does not see the rush of fire below her as the airships collide. She does not see the anguish on his face, or the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

Red skies, red flames, red blood. He sees red.

He lets himself fall, to the safety of the captured ship. He doesn't deserve it.

Blue light envelops the world. They've won.

He has a score to settle. The ship comes to a halt, and Suki is at his side, supporting him. He doesn't need it.

"Ozai." He grits his teeth, hides the boiling rage behind a wall of hatred.

Aang asks him about her. He doesn't answer. He moves closer, fists clenched until his knuckles go white.

Before anyone can stop him he swings, and he swings again, and again, and again, and then Aang grabs him and Suki pulls him back but he's still swinging and fighting. Ozai's eye is shut and bleeding, his teeth bloodied, a thin line running from the corner of his mouth down his chin.

Ozai smiles a bloody smile. He knows that at least to one man, the Fire Nation won.


	5. Misfortune

**Prompt 5: Misfortune (#13)**

* * *

They said that Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe has a curse of misfortune. Sokka was inclined to agree.

Even from a young age, Sokka had a notorious streak of bad luck. As the son of the war chief, when the men went to war, an unreasonable amount of expectation and responsibility fell upon the young Sokka's shoulders. Young Sokka rose to the challenge, of course - but sometimes he secretly wishes that he had a happy childhood with a full family instead.

Of the two siblings, Sokka was the non-bender while his sister is a prodigal waterbender, the strongest born in the South Pole in generations. He was so jealous when she discovered her talent - Gran-Gran had put a hand on his shoulder and explained to him, "She is the last southern waterbender - the last of our hopes for resistance, and survival. And you - you are Hakoda's son. You are the best warrior in the village - so protect her. She is more important than any of us now."

There it was - responsibility, and jealous in one bundle. He had spent countless nights out on the freezing icy plains, going through the motions that he had seen so many times, desperately trying to make a single snowflake move. He'd begged, praying to any spirit who might be listening, to the Sun and Moon and the Ocean, bargaining away his soul and his life - but the snowflake never moved. Eventually he accepted who he was, and became a warrior instead; but sometimes he wishes he could actually help in fights.

Then there was love.

Yue, his first love. She was beautiful, and kind, and graceful, every bit the Princess everyone expected her to be. She was selfless, too - willing to marry a man whom she holds no love for to keep the peace, and afterwards, to give herself up to save the world.

Sokka had failed in his duties to protect her. He would have given everything he had to bring her back, to talk to her again, to hold her. But she had been wrapped up in his curse of misfortune, and gods forbid Sokka meet someone right for him.

Suki, his second love. She was beautiful, too, strong and loyal and every bit the warrior that Sokka strove to be. Their very meeting was astronomically unlikely - of all the meetings two people could have in the entirety of the Earth Kingdom, what were the odds of it being Sokka and Suki? But they met, and they fell in love. Then she was taken away, and broken.

When Sokka found her, and broke her out of prison, Suki had changed. Still a warrior, and still loyal, but the fire within her which Sokka admired so much had been snuffed out by cold shackles and cruel torment. She shied away from love since then - she still did her duty in the war, but love hurt her too much. Sokka understood and gave her the space she needed - even if it hurt him to see her that way. Gods forbid he keep someone right for him.

Toph Beifong. They said Toph Beifong had an unlucky streak as well, and she most definitely agreed.

Blinded from birth, Toph was destined to live her life in darkness. She thought she had a break when her parents found a teacher to teach her earthbending, but all she ever learned was basic forms and 'court' techniques. It was not training - it was stifling. Instead she struck out, learning earthbending from the wise badger-moles. They taught her far better, and she quickly became better - the best. Even then, she was imprisoned in her home, handled gently like she was a delicate flower.

Toph was not a delicate flower. She was the greatest earthbender in the world that no one recognized. She could handle any trouble that never came her way. She could fight a thousand men, if the thousand men could reach her through her family's overwhelmed prestige and wealth. She would have lived unappreciated and unknown until she was married off to some rich noble's son, for political reasons and not love. She was miserable.

And love - what did Toph know of love? The only one she ever felt a true connection to was Sokka, and he was already taken, by Suki. They were happy together. She could tell by the way their heart raced every time they met. When Sokka finally became available, it was not due to any happy circumstance, either - Suki was a friend and Toph did not enjoy seeing her in such a state of fear and uncertainty. Even if it meant she had a chance with Sokka, it did not feel right. Toph, too, bore the curse of misfortune.

The war was a common misfortune they shared. They were young. They were all too young, the members of Team Avatar. Children fighting an adult's war. They had to grow up too quickly for it to be fair. Sokka felt love, loss, anger, and acceptance in a whirlwind of emotions only months after his departure from the South Pole. No boy should watch their first love disappear into the night sky as a casualty of war.

Yet - they persevered. Driven by their misfortune, thrown right into the thick of the war - they met. Fate decreed that the pair, each touched by misfortune, would meet at the intersection of their respective paths of disaster. Sokka - the passionate, driven, unstoppable force - met the unflappable, immovable mountain that was Toph, and sparks flew.

Years later, when the ashes of the war finally settled and the skies cleared - they would look back, and through a bond forged from countless shared misadventures, their hands would interlink and they would decide that, as long as they had each other, they were very, very fortunate.


	6. No Way Out

**Prompt 6: No Way Out (#59)**

* * *

"We're going to die."

Toph groaned, and she would have covered her face with her hands if she wasn't chained to a solid steel wall by thick iron chains. She made a good attempt to do so, though, rattling the chains with tired struggling. How many times had she strained against the unyielding metal chains already? She still had fight in her - Toph Beifong _always_ has fight in her - but the situation was quickly driving her up the wall. Her steadying breaths had long since lost their steadying properties, though the heavy breathing still served well to communicate her murderous impulses.

"We're going to _die_ , Toph. Like, _for_ _real_. This is the end for us."

"Sokka, I swear to the spirits, if I managed to snap these chains-" _rattle rattle_ "-then your neck will be the next in line if you don't _shut up_."

"But it's _true_." Sokka's voice was frighteningly tiny for a usually boisterous and snarky boy. Toph immediately felt guilty for snapping at him - he was coping, just as she was, and here she was telling him that running his mouth was not an option. Although Sokka could stand to be less panicky. And annoying.

"We're not going to die, Sokka." Toph said evenly, trying her best to keep a calm tone of voice. "I'll figure something out."

"…But I'm the idea guy," Sokka protested weakly, "and from what I can see, we're trapped with no way out of this mess."

Toph sighed, and tried to tune out his pessimistic rambling. "You whining about it isn't helping."

"What else can I do?" Sokka rattled the chains binding his wrists together helplessly. He could walk and move his arms - more than what could be said for Toph, who was chained completely to a wall - but even then he felt completely powerless. " _Bend_ my way out of here?"

It was not meant as a jab at Toph, but she certainly took it as such. "Oh, so it's _my_ fault now?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Sokka said quietly. A rare moment of clarity for him - it was a familiar cycle by now. Hysteria, followed by a few moments of sanity before dipping back into panic induced hysterics.

"No, it sounded _a lot_ like you were blaming this on my bending."

"I'm not, Toph, why do you keep-"

"Don't you go pinning this on me."

"Toph, _please_. I'm not blaming you-"

"Damn straight, this is on you."

Sokka flinched, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly for a few moments before they snapped shut.

 _She's right. This is on me._ Sokka thought, a sick feeling in his gut. _She was handling herself fine with those Dai Li agents. She was going to be fine - but then I just had to go screw it up._

Toph cringed, immediately berating herself for being so damn _stupid_. Without any voices to fill the tiny cell, the silence bore down on her like a physical weight, crushing what little spirit she had left.

Toph fought to choke back a whimper. She never meant to snap at Sokka. Her feet scraped the floor, felt cold steel against her toes, but saw nothing, the metal defying her senses. Her ears twitched, naturally honed to compensate for her sight, but all she could hear was oppressive silence and her own heartbeat pulsing through her ears. That, and the hushed, ragged breathing from her friend. Whom she snapped at, because she could not deal with her own feelings of fear and anxiety so that she had to direct them onto someone else. But she felt no anger, only crushing shame and guilt and terror that her friend would be dragged away then and there, and the last moments of his life would be spent thinking that somehow he was to blame for the failings of an entire city.

She took a shuddering breath, feeling a pricking at the corner of her eyes that could've been tears in the right light. But she fought against it - _no, damn it!_ \- tears were not what they needed in that moment. Instead, her lips parted slightly as she inhaled, taking a sharp breath to compose herself.

"Sokka-"

"Toph-"

They stopped as their voices spilled over one other, pausing as they waited for each other. They noted that they were already breathless from only one word.

Toph broke the new silence first. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. It's not… It's not your fault…" Her voice caught, her breath stuck in her throat. She couldn't finish.

Sokka didn't respond for a long while. Toph cringed again, certain that she had ruined things. What horrible person insulted a person when they faced near-certain death?

She stiffened when she felt a gentle touch on her face. "It's okay."

She melted when she felt soft lips press onto hers. Their breaths intermingled, and for a brief moment, the darkness melted away.

He pulled away, and she shivered, feeling his breath on her face - and her breath on his.

"If we're going to die anyway," Sokka said, his voice suddenly firm. "I don't want to leave any regrets."

Toph's eyes widened, then, with frightening intensity, she said, "Then don't die."

Their lips met again, this time without the fear, without the hesitation. Toph felt a swelling within her she had never felt before, a surge of strength, and anger, and indignation. There was a roaring in her ears, and she leaned forward into the kiss, her brow furrowed - she had too much to lose to die here. She didn't even need her senses to know that Sokka, kissing back with equal ferocity, had the same thoughts in his mind. They were desperate, and angry, and determined, and no goddamn cell was going to keep them down. The roaring grew louder, and louder, and louder, until-

CRACK

Her hands tore straight through the metal chains, flying forward to pull Sokka into a deep embrace. They held the kiss for as long as they could, blissfully unaware of the miracle, but eventually they had to pull away, to recover their breath.

"So…" Sokka stared down at Toph's broken chains, amazed. "Was that supposed to happen?"

Toph grabbed the chains binding her legs, and pulled - snapping them in half. "…I don't know. If I knew this would happen I'd have done this sooner-" Her sentence turned into a surprised laugh as Sokka grabbed her and swept her up in another kiss, before pushing her towards the metal door.

Toph grinned, and smashed the door down. "Come on - we have a city to save!"

* * *

A/N:

Love conquers all - especially an inch-thick steel door.


	7. Lurking

Prompt 7: Lurking (#25)

A/N: Part 1 of Toph's Mysterious Meeting Series. Modern AU.

* * *

"Remind me why we're doing this?"

Zuko frowned at the jittering wreck beside him. He and Sokka were hiding behind the large dolphins hedge-statues at the park, wearing ratty camo-print clothes Sokka had bought from the thrift shop down the street, in the dead of night, on a Wednesday. "Your idea, not mine," He replied, peering through the foliage at a set of empty benches.

Sokka paused, apparently taking a few solid seconds to think that statement through - _Is he really_ that _freaked out?_ \- before grimacing. "Well I want out now."

"Hell no, dude." Zuko growled, grabbing onto the hood on Sokka's 'military hoodie' to prevent him from escaping. Sokka made a noise that was a cross between a whimper and a squeak, and Zuko sighed. "You barge into my room asking for help, you get my goddamn help. Now suck it up and keep a look out for your girlfriend."

"Right." Sokka looked faint, his face pale and gaunt when illuminated by the flickering park lights. Zuko didn't think a person could change that much within the span of a day or so, but since Sokka was still his normal silly self in the morning, apparently it was possible for someone to change so drastically in just a few hours. "Just look for Toph. Easy."

Suddenly his pupils dilated. "Toph and her _new_ boyfriend."

"You know," Zuko sighed, running a hand through his messy raven hair in exasperation. "I thought you'd handle this better after Suki."

"Well," Sokka cringed at the mention of Suki. "We weren't really - I guess serious? And-"

"Because you and Toph are the paragons for seriousness." Zuko interrupted, giving him a _Really?_ sort of look. He took out the lighter that he got from his uncle Iroh as a child, and lit it with a _click_ before snuffing it out moments later. "I can barely tell the difference between you two now and you two before she asked you out. You two are basically the same from before, except with more sucking face."

Sokka whimpered again. "You think that's why she's seeing another guy? Maybe she wanted more out of-"

"We don't even _know_ if it's another guy!" Zuko butted in again, this time reaching over and cuffing him lightly across the head to stop him from overthinking. "You ran in all panicked with a screenshot of a message on her phone from an _unknown sender_. It could damn well be her parents for all we know."

"But, like, what else could a midnight meeting like this be?" Sokka whined, poking his head over the hedge to check if the coast was clear. "At the park? With _mood lighting?!_ "

He gestured wildly at the slowly dimming park lights. They would go out in an hour or so, but until then they would reduce in brightness - couples would call this period of time 'happy hour' because the dimmed lights made for an excellent romantic setting. Sokka would know - he and Toph had utilized this feature many times on their dates.

Zuko hesitated, also aware of the park's infamous reputation as a couple trap. Internally, Zuko was suspicious of the situation as well, but he couldn't actually tell the already nervous and desperate Sokka that for fear of him breaking down or something. He had to be the optimistic one here. "We don't have all the facts yet. We'll have to wait and see."

"What if she spots us?" Sokka whispered.

Zuko stopped, thinking on that. "You were in track and field, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Do that."

"…Oh." Sokka gulped. "Joy."

"Just keep your head down and you'll be fine." Zuko gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. "Besides, we agreed only to show ourselves if it _was_ a date, and the guy is an asshole."

"Right." Sokka took a steadying breath, seeming a little less high-strung with someone sensible there to calm him down. "It's for Toph. Not me."

"Sokka- down! She's here!" Zuko suddenly hissed, and the two young men ducked behind the hedges as Toph rounded the corner, headed towards the park bench in front of the hedge where the two guys hid.

She was wearing her hair _down_. Zuko had to fight to rein in the sharp intake of breath that would surely have given them away at the sight. The only time Zuko had seen Toph with her hair down - or at least in anything other than a bun - was during that one summer camp where Toph's headband broke. It took wardrobe malfunction to have Toph wear her hair down - and here she was, glossy black hair cascading down her shoulders and back, reaching about waist length around the back and chest-length up front.

Sokka made a sound so feeble and pitiful that Zuko couldn't even describe it.

Besides the hair, Toph was in her go-clothes, which she reserved almost exclusively for when she wanted to make a positive impression - which was rare. Combat boots, with dark olive skinny jeans, sandy yellow jacket over a green tube top - not really Zuko's style, but he had to admit that Toph had really good taste, despite her near-blindness.

Sokka was slack-jawed - she looked _amazing_. She never put in that much effort when they were dating. A pang of jealous shot through him, and instead of feeling the jittery nervousness that he felt before, now he felt indignant. Whoever she was meeting better be good.

Toph stopped, looking around expectantly - nervously, which Toph almost never was, Zuko noted - for something. Probably someone.

"Look - someone's coming this way!" Zuko tugged at Sokka's elbow, and the two stared expectantly into the shadows as a figure slowly walked into view.

Sokka was the first to realize who the person was, and he gagged, seemingly choking on air as shock overtook his ability to function normally. Zuko glanced at him questioningly, before turning back to finding out the identity of Toph's mysterious date - and he too choked up, his eyes widening with surprise.

Toph looked towards the source of the footsteps she heard, and after giving a few moments for her eyes to focus, her entire face lit up as she realized who was approaching. She shot to her feet, smiling radiantly - was that a blush Sokka detected? - and she called out happily, just as Sokka managed a horrified whisper of the same name:

"Suki!" " _Suki?!_ "


	8. Experiment

**Prompt 8: Experiment (#26)**

A/N: Part 2 of Toph's Mysterious Meeting Series. Modern AU.

* * *

" _What the hell is she doing here?!_ " Sokka hissed, grabbing and shaking Zuko by the collar.

"Meeting your girlfriend." Zuko mused, even as he felt his spine creak from the constant back-and-forth shaking. Sokka eventually let go after a few more shakes for good measure, but he still had a hand clamped solidly on Zuko's forearm, squeezing - consciously or not, Zuko could not tell - until his knuckles turned white. On his part, Zuko didn't really care - he was tough enough to be a bro in hard times.

"I CAN SEE _THAT_." Sokka growled, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. He turned back to the apparent disaster unfolding before him, feeling his entire world tip upside down. "They _hate_ each other. Toph's still pissed after Suki and her Kyoshi girls crashed her party! She was complaining about it last week! What the hell is going-"

Sokka's eyes bugged out as before his very eyes, Toph, the ultimate tough-girl who took shits from no one and gave none in return, embraced Suki warmly. He felt faint.

Toph and Suki smiled at each other, before Suki leaned forward and gave Toph a quick peck on the cheek before whispering something inaudible in her ear. Toph flushed red - _she's blushing!_ \- and she nodded quickly, eagerly. Suki took Toph's hand, and giggling like schoolgirls, the two set off.

Eventually, their tittering faded into the background noise of the park and the city, and silence returned to the park. Zuko, after a moment's deliberation, reached over and put a comforting hand on Sokka's shoulder, as a brother was wont to do. He cleared his throat, and said,

"That's rough, buddy."

Sokka covered his face with his hands, his head spinning. He had never known - Toph, girls? - How has this never come up in conversation before? He always thought Toph acted weirdly around Ty Lee. Was that why? And Suki? Of all people? A pang of jealousy - and anger - shot through him. "I never knew…"

"Do you want to follow them?" Zuko gestured vaguely at the direction that they walked off. "Make sure she's okay?"

Sokka shook his head numbly. "Suki's a fighter. And Toph can take care of herself. They'll be fine."

Zuko looked at him, with his signature soul-searching look. Despite being a grumbly, angry teen who apparently had two settings, brooding and not brooding, he was surprisingly empathetic and good with advice. "This isn't something you can just ignore," He began, before Sokka cut him off.

"I'm not." Sokka said, running a hand through his hair. "Spirits, Zuko, I'm not going to ignore this. Just… I need some time. Girlfriend's gay, apparently. Gotta process this."

Zuko nodded, understandingly. "I'll take you back."

"Thanks." Sokka sighed, and pulled his trusty boomerang out from his pocket, fiddling with it nervously. "Just drop me off out front."

* * *

The next morning Sokka was woken up by the sound of his phone ringing. He groaned at the light filtering through the curtains onto his face, and fumbled for the phone.

Toph. Sokka thought, hearing the disgustingly saccharine love song he set as her ringtone - he did it more to annoy her than anything, but it's pretty sweet (heh) occasionally. Now it just felt uncomfortable. Accepting the call, he put the call on speaker, flopping back on to the bed with an audible groaned.

"Morning, Snoozles!" _She sounds happy_ , Sokka noted.

"Hey, Toph." Sokka mumbled, keeping an even tone of voice. He didn't want to get mad, certainly not over the phone. "What's up?"

"Am I not allowed to check up on you out of the goodness of my heart?"

Sokka fumbled for a shirt to throw on, rummaging in the clothing basket next to his bed. "Well, no, but you never do that. So what's going on?"

"Just wanted to mention that I have a thing tonight," Toph said offhandedly, "so you don't have to make any plans or whatever."

"A thing?"

"A thing." Toph said with finality, the kind of tone that demanded no follow-up questions. "Look, it's just dinner at Lee's with a friend. Don't get a heart attack, sheesh."

"Okay, okay." Sokka said, shrugging even though Toph wouldn't be able to tell. "You have fun with the thing. Anything else I should know?"

There was a fairly long pause on the other side of the line. Sokka knew, rationally, that it was Toph trying to recall if there was anything, but a niggling voice in the back of his mind insisted it was a moment of guilty hesitation.

"Nope." She said, finally.

"Cool." Sokka said, shortly. "See you in class." He cut off the call.

* * *

"So, what, did she just not mention anything to you?" Zuko asked, kicking back as he listened to Sokka on the phone.

"No - just talked about a thing going down at Lee's."

"Dude." Zuko leaned forward, his sharp, golden eyes wide. "Lee's has got to be top 10 on the dating stops."

"I know," Sokka moaned. "I took her there for our first date."

"…Ouch." Zuko winced. "So, what, do you want to go… spy on her?"

"Spy is a strong word." Sokka mumbled.

"You're going to spy on her." Zuko said, flatly.

"Well…" Sokka sighed. "Yeah, probably."

Zuko stared at his phone for a long, long moment. Sokka gulped at the long pause. Eventually, Zuko shrugged and said, "Okay, then."

"You're not going to talk me out of it?"

"You already crossed that line yesterday," Zuko pointed out. "In for a penny, in for a pound, right?"

"You're the worst friend."

"I'll meet you at Lee's and pay for the meal."

"If I were into that I would kiss you."

Zuko chuckled. "Alright, gotta get back to work. I'll call you later."

"See you around, Zuko."

* * *

Sokka gulped. He sat opposite to Zuko in Lee's, one of the more expensive establishments in the neighborhood. Zuko had his typical leather jacket and red/black color scheme, while Sokka wore his blue shirt, unbuttoned, over a lighter blue vest. Both felt woefully underdressed compared to the other customers, Sokka slightly more so than Zuko.

"You think she lied to me to throw me off?" Sokka asked, looking at Zuko nervously.

Zuko shook his head. "If she's _that_ paranoid then your relationship is on the slide anyway." He patted him on the back. "Have faith. I'm sure there's a rational explanation for this. She does like you."

"Right. That's why she's on a date - with a girl."

"Sokka," Zuko warned. "Where's your honour? Sit straight - and order something, the cook is looking at us funny."

Sokka flagged down a waiter. "I'll have a caesar salad."

"Make that two." Zuko added. Once the waiter walked off, Zuko looked sternly at Sokka. "Salads are for wimps. You should have gone for a steak."

Sokka's forehead met the table with a thump. "Oh man - what am I becoming?"

The ringing bell of the restaurant door drew their attention, however, and as they turned towards it, both boys caught sight of two girls sauntering into the shop - Toph and Suki. They were both laughing, and Toph had a shopping bag in one hand.

Sokka felt a stabbing sensation in his heart that did not feel healthy. He stared, wide-eyed, at Zuko. "Well, what do I do now?"

Zuko shrugged. "Whatever you think is necessary."

"Should I talk to her?" Sokka asked, nervously looking between Zuko and the pair who had just sat down.

"Do you value your relationship with her?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Then talk to her about this."

Sokka winced at his friend's directness, before standing up slowly. He walked over to where the two were sitting - holding hands! - and cleared his throat.

The effect was immediate. Toph shot up to her feet like a bullet, while Suki tried to collapse in on herself, and failing that, started retreating under the table. "Sokka- What are you doing here?!"

"Guy's dinner with Zuko." Sokka said, pointing at Zuko, who tried very hard to be invisible. "I see you're with good company."

Ignoring his comment, Toph glared at him and poked him in the chest. "What are the odds of us both getting dinner at Lee's, huh? Were you following me?!"

"What am I doing? What are _you_ doing?" Sokka glared, with equal intensity, at Suki. "Why are you with _her_?"

"We were just hanging out-" Toph tried to explain, before Sokka interrupted her. "You were holding hands."

" _We_ held hands before we started dating."

"Well, yeah, but we're different." Sokka crossed his arms. "You know that."

"Maybe Suki and I are different as well!" Toph growled, folding her own arms as well. "Have you ever through of that? And you never answered my question!"

Zuko started sweating as the restaurant fell silent at the sight. Standing up awkwardly, he marched up to the arguing couple and put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Maybe you should continue this outside. You're causing a disturbance."

Sokka and Toph both glared at him, but from behind the table Suki smiled gratefully at him. The whole group moved their discussion outside, where immediately, the two started speaking heatedly again.

"Okay, fine - so maybe we're seeing each other. Is that the admission you wanted, meathead?" Toph jabbed him in the chest again, the act - and the admission - sending Sokka reeling. Without the righteous feeling of catching them off guard anymore, however, Sokka just deflated.

"…I guess." His shoulders sagged, and he looked away from the girl. "…How long?"

"A little less than a month." Toph's expression softened as a little guilt crept onto her face, the initial indignation of being spied on fading fast at the tired look on Sokka's face.

"How?"

"She approached me first. Wanted to make nice with me before making up with you." Toph said, staring down at the ground. "I was pissed at first. But then we talked, and got closer. We had our first meeting last night, actually."

"I know." Sokka said. "At the park."

Toph's head jerked up in surprise, but she didn't comment on it. "Sorry you had to find out this way. I was gonna tell you when we had things hashed out."

Sokka shook his head. "If… that's what you want then I'm not going to stop you." He stared, pointedly, at Suki. "Not like it's the first time this happened to me."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Not the first time you were invited to a threesome?"

Sokka was about to turn away when he paused. "I'm sorry, what?"

Suki giggled, and Zuko turned bright red as he heard the statement. Toph took a few steps forward and grabbed Sokka by the hand. "I wasn't gonna give up on you just so I could experiment."

"No, seriously - go back a bit. _What?!_ " Sokka looked flustered, pointing between Toph, Suki, and himself.

"I mean, I figured if I made it beneficial to you as well, I'd have a better chance of making it." Toph crossed her arms. "It's not like you two haven't - y'know."

"Well, yeah, but - _buh?!_ " Sokka looked horribly confused. "So you… and her… but also with me?"

"It's called poly."

"I know what polygamy is," Sokka said, "I just… never pegged you for that."

"So you're okay with it?" Suki spoke up, looking at him hopefully.

"Well…" Sokka looked between Suki and Toph. Suki - sporty, but still as curvy and beautiful as when they dated - and Toph, gorgeous as ever. He slowly started to nod. "It'll take some getting used to - but I can live with it."

"Oh, Sokka!" Suki rushed forward, planting a kiss on his cheek and wrapping him up in a hug. "Thank you so much for this!"

"Uh… you're welcome, Suki." Toph grinned, giving Sokka the thumbs up, and Sokka glared at her. "You, however, we're gonna have to have a long talk."

"Does it include talking about _spying on your girlfriend?_ " Toph put her hands on his hips. Zuko started backing away slowly.

"Uh…" Sokka thought about it for a moment, before pushing Suki into Toph and making a break for it. "HERE-HAVE-YOUR-GIRLFRIEND-BYE!"

Zuko gave the two of them an apologetic glance before running after him. "Sokka, wait!"

Suki and Toph exchanged looks, and smiled. That worked out better than expected.

"Uh… would the sirs like their salads now?" A waitress poked her head out of the restaurant.

"Is it paid for already?" Toph asked, and the waitress nodded. She turned to Suki. "You want free salad?"

Suki smirked. "This night just gets better and better.


	9. Soft

**Prompt 9: Soft (#94)**

A/N: I just needed fluff, so have some shameless, adorable fluff.

* * *

Pain. Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering and the munchies. These were the things felt by Sokka as he came to, the too-bright sun in his face, the too-loud chirping of birds outside the earth tent. His whole body ached, and yet he felt strangely content.

…Earth tent?

"Mhm…"

He became acutely aware of the warm, soft weight beside him. Said weight shivered, and curled up a little closer to him, tightening its grip on him and causing his breath to catch and his heartbeat to quicken. There was no doubt that the weight was a person - the arms wrapped around him and soft skin made it easy to tell - but he didn't dare look down to confirm their identity.

"Mm…" Another groan - distinctly feminine. Sokka breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't Aang. Or Zuko. That would have been very, very uncomfortable. After the time Zuko walked in on him waiting for Suki, he was _very_ careful not to involve them in any of his romantic escapades.

"…What…?" Sokka's relief evaporated just as quickly as it set in as he recognized the voice. He glanced downwards apprehensively. Raven hair. Porcelain skin. Petite frame. Misty sea-foam eyes.

…Toph. He immediately stiffened, feeling panic set in. What was he doing in Toph's tent? He looked again, hoping to see clothes - and was relieved to see Toph's wrappings and underclothes still on her, as well as his pants. However, they were both close enough to nakedness that his panic multiplied tenfold.

How did they end up like this? He tried to remember.

There was a party. Someone's birthday.

Toph's birthday? Sokka couldn't recall. Something about running away from a formal event.

Someone brought out drinks. Cactus juice? The details were fuzzy.

Then - a flurry of limbs. Lips - soft, sweet, but insistent. Fingers entwined, bodies held close. Her breath hot against his, faces inches apart. A mischievous smile, clouded eyes twinkling with delight. Her laugh, innocent and free, like countless jingling bells.

Warmth and contentment. Happiness.

"What…" Sokka started, before falling silent, mentally slapping himself. _Sokka, why are you such an idiot? What the hell are you supposed to follow that up with? Oops, sorry but I guess we made out?_

He stopped himself before he started _really_ freaking out, taking as quiet a deep breath as he could. He didn't exactly dislike the situation they were in - the sensation of Toph curled around him, with him holding her with an arm was… nice. He permitted a blush to color his cheeks at the thought.

Although once Toph realized what was going on, she was probably going to flay him alive. For the moment, though, he allowed himself this small happiness.

Was she always that soft? Sokka always thought Toph would be solid, like the rock she so often bent. But her body was soft - her alabaster skin flawless and unblemished. For a girl who prided herself on being unrelentingly rough and tumble, Sokka marveled at how surprisingly warm and gentle she could be.

"…Sokka?" Toph shifted, her mumbly morning voice suddenly turning sharp as her mind caught up with current events. Her hold on him didn't let up, however, her arms still stretched across his chest and back. "Why am I curled up next to you?"

"Uhm." Sokka gulped. "I was hoping that you would have an answer, actually."

"…That's dumb." Toph said, flatly. "You're dumb."

"Am not." Sokka protested - though secretly he was glad that they were back to the comfortable routine of teasing each other. The familiarity was soothing.

"Are too." Toph said, poking him in the side.

Sokka grumbled and looked away, annoyed at her ribbing. "Whatever."

The two continued to lie there in silence, feeling minutes tick by as they breathing slowly grew to match the other's, their chests rising and falling in accordance to an unseen rhythm. Sokka noted that she still had him held tightly against her, and her arm was still draped across his chest. His arm which was wrapped around her back didn't let go, either, cradling the curve of her back gently.

"…Shouldn't we, like, get up?" Toph eventually suggested, loosening her hold on Sokka.

Sokka was going to agree - really, he was, he had even nodded and everything - but unexpectedly, and almost uncontrollably, he instead blurted out, "I'm okay with this."

Toph paused, her face growing incredibly red at the declaration. "…Oh. Okay, then."

She shrugged, and flopped back down, pulling herself closer to him again. Sokka blushed deep scarlet, his heart threatening to explode from his chest at the sensation of her being so close to him. What's more, he could feel Toph's heart hammering as well, with her chest pressed up against his side.

What had possessed him to say that? He'd never felt that way towards Toph before.

Did he? The tugging sensation in his gut told him otherwise. This was not spontaneous, like Suki, or Yue. Those loves burned like fireworks, exploding brilliantly, but were never given the chance to become more than a teenager's infatuation.

Toph, though.

She was always there. A possibility he daren't consider. It bubbled and brewed, and occasionally surfaced - those days he would stare at Toph, realizing how much she'd grown since they first met. She was a beautiful young woman, now. Turning heads and breaking hearts without even realizing it. But he did. In the moonlight, Toph _glowed_. She was like a marble statue, unwaveringly stable, yet breathtakingly beautiful.

He had never thought that could be his - he was always preoccupied with something or another.

Perhaps all he needed was a nudge.

"So… are we, like, a thing now?"

Smooth moves, Sokka. Not the kind of nudge he needed. Possibly his worst asking out line yet.

Well, no - asking Yue if she wanted to do an activity with him was probably worse. But it was up there on the list.

"A thing." Toph repeated, before chuckling. "You're lucky I like you, because that was dumb."

"So that's a yes?"

"Well now I'm considering a no," Toph snarked, jabbing him in the side again.

"Oh." Sokka said, disappointed. Toph groaned, grabbing his face and pulling him towards her roughly, not without a hint of frustration.

"Just kiss me you idiot."

Turning over to his side, Sokka did just that. He closed his eyes, feeling the sensation of his lips against hers flow over him, her hands gripping his body tightly, pulling them together until it felt as though they would become one being. He ran a hand down her back, and felt a shiver in return. He could _feel_ their hearts beating together, forming a steady rhythm as they indulged in their passion.

Finally, reluctantly, they broke apart for air, gasping and breathing heavily. Sokka grinned, though his smile was lopsided. "So is that a yes?"

Breathlessly, Toph smiled back. "That's a yes."


	10. Foreign

**Prompt 10: Foreign (#27)**

A/N: AU, where the four nations are more separated. Inspired by I'll Walk You Home by Justthisguyyouknow. Kind of a weird format, but I think it worked pretty well.

* * *

In the Earth Kingdom, unless you were enlightened intellectuals or the rare, experienced traveler, you wouldn't have the chance to learn about more than the regions immediately next to the village or town or city you were born. Information was scarce, and information on the other nations scarcer still.

Of course, everyone knew of the Fire Nation. They breathed fire, ate brimstone, drank magma and had skin that was crimson like blood. Their eyes burned with hellfire, and when a Fire Nation soldier locked eyes with you you could feel yourself burning up before you could even defend yourself.

They said the Firelord, ruler of that mighty nation, was a dragon, or at least half dragon, the unholy product between the copulation of a savage dragon and a hapless woman. When he breathed, the skies burned, and when he walked, the earth blackened and scorched.

The Air nomads, many knew of as well. They were the wise men of the mountain, able to soar through the skies like birds, unbound by the earth. They had homes fashioned from clouds and ate fruits from the stars.

Of course, the freedom didn't save them from the fury of the Fire Nation. The stories told of that day were frightful and terrible - their sky-cities blasted from the air by flame and fury, the people chased into hiding and hunted down, their entire history stripped from existence. They faded into legend, their airbending ways becoming the stuff of myth and stories to be told around fires by parents to children.

The Water Tribes, though - not many truly understood those. Since the Hundred Year War, very few people have ever seen the Water Tribesmen. They knew of them, certainly - warriors and savages clad in blue, wearing the skins of animals and wielding barbaric weapons like spears and clubs. They knew that their bending was bizarre - not solid, like earthbending, nor aggressive, like firebending, but fluid and flexible - like a ritual dance.

And so it came to be that the Water Tribe became synonymous with mysticism and the unknown. Their warriors were wild, but powerful. Their bending held untold mysterious properties - healing and freezing as well as controlling water. And their men… they were regarded with suspicion and often open contempt. They snatched away women, enthralling their hearts with Water Tribe sorcery and their 'wet kisses.' They were not to be trusted around crops, or merchandise. They were not to speak to children for fear of corruption.

The young Earth Kingdom girl knew of this. She knew the risks of associating herself with such people. Yet she went with the Avatar and his Water Tribe companions, eager to see the world beyond the walled fence of her home.

She was cautious, at first, regarding the two Water Tribespeople with suspicion, and in some cases, open hostility. She has heard of the tales, of the Water Tribe women who worked magic and witchcraft. Her personality was not much better, either - demanding, and overly prissy. Though a kinder side eventually came through, and they eventually became fast friends, the girl knew they would be too different to truly understand each other.

The boy - he was intriguing. She knew she was not supposed to be near Water Tribe men. But he was hardly a man - though definitely not a child. He acted as one who was forced to grow up too quickly, and for that he had her sympathy. Though clumsy and at times idiotic, his earnest and genuine ways quickly earned him a place as the young girl's trusted friend. He was kind, and caring, yet not overbearing, trusting in her ability to defend herself. He knew when to give a hand, and when to let her take charge. They became a team, a sarcastic, sometimes infuriating, team that was practically infallible between his tactical mind and her earthbending prowess.

The girl had almost put the teachings of her parents behind her. Both Water Tribe people seemed kind, and not at all as the stories say they were. Then _she_ appeared, and the girl was suddenly convinced the tales were true. He seemed callous to her suddenly, his kindness seemed painful and hollow. They still spoke, but when they did, all he talked about was _her_. She couldn't stand it. He seemed so blind to her pain that she was reminded of the stories of Water Tribe men toying with women's hearts.

He was foreign, she reminded herself. She should not hold him to the same way of thinking she had. He was different, and they would always be different.

Years passed. They fought Ozai, who turned out not to be half dragon but simply a powerful, but fallible, man. They brought the son of Ozai to the throne, who proved not all firebenders were evil (though his golden eyes did seem to gleam with flames). She pioneered a new form of bending. She was happy - for the most part. She was still bitter over his choosing of _her_ over her, but they remained friends, though they drifted apart over time. They were different, after all.

Then he stumbled into her home one day, eyes red, pleading for companionship. _She_ left him. He was hurt, and broken, and needed a friend. She had forgotten the feeling, but it was something she gave gladly. She saw, behind the silly, sarcastic mask, a scared and insecure man forced to the forefront of the world as a leader, when really all he wanted was to go home and fish. She saw that perhaps they were not so different after all.

And then - she made her decision. She met another man, a kind, quiet, gentle man who came not from an exotic other land but from the same town she was from. He was like a rock - with an unshakeable resolve and quiet demeanor - and she liked rocks.

They settled down. They had a child. Her oldest friend smiled and nodded when she invited him to the wedding, though she couldn't miss the hint of sadness in his eyes. The wedding came. The groom did not.

She was heartbroken. She cried, and she wept, and in her fits of sadness and rage she raised a new mountain and carved a new valley. When the dust settled, he was waiting for her. The Water Tribe boy, who loved meat and boomerangs, who was no longer a boy but a man of high standing, took her back to her home, and comforted her.

More years passed. They lived together, though they were not wed. She needed someone to watch over her child while she watched over the city they lived in. He was willing - her daughter was virtually his daughter. And one day he sat down and had her daughter on his lap and he told her he was going to propose to her mommy.

And he did. And it was beautiful.

And despite being foreign, he was not so foreign that she could not love him.

And love him she did. As she always has.


	11. Walk

**Prompt 11: Walk (#35)**

A/N: And now we come to the Tokkangst. I'm surprised it took this long. Please do review this one at least, as Angst is one of my least confident subjects. Did I do okay? What can I do to improve?

* * *

"Hey Toph," her heart skips a beat, "wanna go for a walk?"

She lifts her head from where she's resting it - a large slab of earthbent rock, serving as a table. Her response is calculated, carefully lethargic and dispassionate. "To where?"

"Just around." His cheery tone is unaffected by her response.

"Not like I have anything better to do." She hides a giddy, but pained smile behind a lowered head and her bangs. He holds out a hand, and she takes it, ignoring the electric tingling at the touch. It's a practiced reaction, now. Banishing the warm feelings clouding her mind, she allows him to pull her up to her feet, and she dusts herself off casually. "Lead on, Captain Boomerang."

He chuckles and sets off into the forest, and she follows close behind him. They walk in silence for a while, him soaking in the natural ambiance - birdsong, light breeze, warm sun - and her breathing in his presence. He smells like soot, ash, and cooking oil - he was tending to the campfire, and because he cooks, he always smells like his favorite food - roasted meat, rich and mouthwatering.

He's deli- _it's_ delicious, she corrects herself, silently working up a furious blush. She shouldn't be thinking like that. He's not that kind of guy, and to him, she will never be that kind of girl. The thought lingers in her mind, like bitter poison, coloring the occasion dark.

He turns back, head tilted. She can't see it but she can imagine the expression on his face is one of concern. "You're kinda red, there. Do you want me to slow down?"

"I'm fine," she manages to choke out, behind the heat burning on her cheeks. He's attentive - not attentive enough to notice the cause of her situation, but he senses that she's in need. Still, she pushes on. As she said - she'll manage.

He nods, though he gives her another glance before setting off once more. He still slows his place a little for her - she allows a twinge of gratitude to enter her guarded heart. She increases her pace slightly so she walks beside him rather than behind him, and carefully, nonchalantly, takes his hand.

He looks at her, squeezing her hand slightly. "What's the matter?" He's concerned. She rarely takes his hand, only in situations where she can't see. She's aware of this as well, her heart hammering in her chest. What is she doing? It's not like she has any chance - she's just hurting herself. And him. She should let go. She _should_ let go.

She doesn't.

"The ground is soft," She lies. "Too much leaf litter. It's muffling the vibrations."

"Oh," he smiles and nods - he thinks he understands. "Okay then."

He doesn't say any more, but to her his gentle silence is even more piercing than his voice.

Stop it. Stop being so kind, she wants to say. She can't stand being given false hope. Not when he obviously already belongs to someone else.

She clenches a fist, and a small pebble rises from out of the fallen leaves. It hovers momentarily, before being crushed into powder. He doesn't notice, still gently holding her hand like she's the most important thing in the world.

She's not. Not to him, anyway. The most important thing to him is a fierce warrior wielding fans.

Her grip on his hand tightens involuntarily, and he - to her ever mounting frustration - squeezes back. Conscious or instinctual, she doesn't care - she regrets taking his hand now. It's like trying to hold hot coals, or cold ice - it burns her up to have her skin against his.

She tries to let go, but to her horror, he doesn't. "Toph."

Not the carefree, cheery tone he usually has. Deep, magnetic, captivating. Soothing, too. Rage boils up inside her.

She's angry, and she tries harder to shake him off. He flinches, letting go like he's been scalded. She stands there for a moment, dazed. What is she doing? Swinging between giddy happiness and boiling anger, like a self-indulgent child. She's stronger than that. Better than that. She should be a mountain - unyielding. All she is now is a handful of falling sand. Falling apart.

"Toph," he tries again, concern clear in his voice. "What's wrong?"

Nothing. Nothing's wrong, she wants to say. It's not you, it's me - it's obvious the idiot blames himself. He always does. Not this time. "Just… leave me alone."

"I'm… sorry?" He flinches again, and she wants to take everything back. Going on this walk is a bad idea. She sees that now. She's an idiot for letting her guard down and now everything is too far gone to take back.

Idiot. Her face twists into an angry snarl, though the rage isn't directed at him, but at herself. Too proud to let go, too insecure to tell the truth. Stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"It's not your fault." She grinds out, finally. The words drag blood from her. She feels ragged, from months and months of silence and internalized anguish. "It's me."

He leans forward, the concern in him almost palpable, radiating off him through his voice and his actions. She wants to throw up. She can't take his kindness, not when his heart belongs to someone else.

Strong arms wrap around her, and she stiffens, feeling tears threaten to escape the corners of her eyes. She can't breathe, his scent surrounding her, the best kind of worst feeling in the world.

"Let go," She mutters, sounding for all the world like a lost little girl.

"I can't," He says, his voice firm. She can't take it - she dissolves into his arms, crying, choking out incoherent, ragged words and shuddering breaths. Loyal to a fault - she hates that the most about him, because it's what she fell in love with in the first place. She can feel it now - his determination to help her translating into the tight, warm hold he has on her.

He's at a loss, but he can't let go because instinctively, he knows that if he ever lets go, he will never have her back again. He can't take that risk. "Toph, please."

"What?" Small fists beat repeatedly against his shoulder, in frustration and anguish. He takes it stoically, not even wincing. She realizes that he must have been playing up his reaction to her normal punches. She can't even muster up a full breath before it's interrupted by a fit of wracking sobs. "Please what?"

"Tell me what's wrong."

She wants to. She so painfully wants to. It's so easy - spill the dam, and in his stupid, caring nature, he'll sweep her off her feet, exactly the way she dreams of every night, and she'll be in heaven.

But she can't. She can't do that to the man she loves. He'll be torn, afterwards, between his own feelings and hers. She could never do that.

"I can't." She says, defeated. She slumps, unable to struggle against his overwhelming compassion. "I can't." The words sting them both, her because they're true, and him because he does not understand.

"Why?" He tries again.

"I just…" She stops, and screams into his shoulder. He lets her, holding her with dear life like it's the only thing he can do. It may as well be. "I can't."

She pushes against him, and this time he lets go, his breathing heavy and his heart hammering. "Toph - I can't help you if you…"

"You're right. You can't." She doesn't wait for him to finish - she can't. The stone walls are back up, like before the walk. She needs to get back to the others, where she can rebuild her defenses. He shatters them too easily.

"Toph-"

"No." It's both a statement and a plea. Let her go. His hand, raised up at her, flinches back, the fingers curling into a fist as he stares hopelessly at her. She lied to him, he realizes. She could see the whole time. The realization doesn't sting as much as what came before.

She turns away, and runs, the earth swelling up under her. She leaves, blinking away tears that fall from her like burning lava, searing her eyes.

Stupid walk.


	12. Do Not Disturb

**Prompt 12: Do Not Disturb (#63)**

A/N: Well this got inappropriate. Collage AU.

* * *

 _"Zuko! Oh my GOD!"_

Sokka rolled over and tried not to die a little on the inside as he listened to his sister and his roommate get it on in their room (and hopefully on Zuko's bed and not his.) He was offered refuge by Toph, whose room was right next door, which he gladly accepted - he _really_ didn't need to see whatever was going down in the other room, and he sure as Hell wasn't going back in there until the sock was off the knob.

Unfortunately, for him, some things just couldn't be escaped, as the walls were paper thin and probably the exact opposite of sound-proof. He could even feel the vibrations of the bed knocking against the walls passing through onto Toph's bed, which he was lying on. Toph was sitting on Katara's bed, trying very hard to focus on an audio book of the class required reading.

 _"Mmm…! 'Tara…!"_

A deep, crimson blush spread over her face. As Zuko's close friend of almost nine years, the experience was especially surreal. As it stood, both she and Sokka were going through pretty much the same thoughts, as they unwillingly listened to their sibling figures go at it in the other room.

It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't happen as often as it did - but it was the third time that week and Sokka was getting quite fed up at his sister and roommate's sexcapades. At first it was making out - that he could very determinedly tune out by turning to the wall and covering his ears. The second time around they exploded into the room already tearing each other's clothes off, and it was at that point that Sokka politely excused himself and knocked on Toph's door.

 _"Oh… GOD YES!"_

The thumping got harder and harder.

Sokka screamed into a pillow, venting all of his frustration into a single shout. Toph glanced over at him with a sympathetic expression on her face, and hopped off Katara's bed to sit on the side of her's. Reaching over, she gave Sokka a soft couple of pats on the head.

"Hang in there, man, hang in there." She mumbled, sighing deeply as the words coming from next door eventually blended into an incoherent grunting.

"It's just TORTURE," Sokka sobbed, grabbing Toph's forearm suddenly. _"_ Just kill me now. PLEASE."

Toph simply shook her head.

 _"Oh YES!"_

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE." Sokka slammed the book he was trying to read shut. _"_ THAT'S IT."

"What?" Toph asked, tilting her head.

"We've got to do something about the noise." Sokka said, grimly.

"Like what?" Toph turned slightly towards the wall separating the offending room and theirs. The noise was still going strong. "If you want to go up and knock on the door to get them to shut up, be my guest!"

"No - listen," Sokka said, before being interrupted by Toph.

"I'd rather not." Thump thump thump.

"I mean to me, damn it." Sokka grumbled, giving the wall the stink eye. "I have a plan."

Toph raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the headboard and crossing her arms. "Do you, now?"

"Let's give them a taste of their own medicine."

Sokka and Toph grinned wickedly at each other.

* * *

 _"Oh FUCK! TOPH!"_

Zuko was in the process of kissing Katara passionately when Sokka's voice came from the other room. He froze, one hand still cupping Katara's chin, leaving both in an uncomfortable position - though not as uncomfortable as what they'd just heard.

The couple exchanged looks, before slowly turning towards the wall with a look of apprehension on their faces.

 _"Oh, SOKKA!"_

Katara cringed. She _really_ didn't want to think about her older brother doing… whatever it was he was doing to her roommate.

 _"YES! Oh YES!"_

Zuko shuddered.

The couple slowly disentangled themselves from one other, feeling rather put off.

* * *

Sokka took a moment to catch his breath.

He was _almost_ certain the plan was supposed to involve him and Toph making the noises Zuko and Katara were making to put them off.

Somehow, he was lying next to Toph, butt naked, and having experienced the best thing in his life thus far. Looping his arm around Toph's bare waist, he sighed in contentment, giving Toph a gentle kiss.

"…So how did this happen?" He asked Toph, murmuring into her hair as he held her close.

"You had a plan." Toph chuckled. "Nice going, plan guy."

"Well - at least they've shut up." Sokka grinned. giving the wall a solid thump. "You all done in there?!"

A few moments later, Zuko's shaken voice, muffled by the wall, comes through. "Er- yeah. You?"

He looked over to Toph ("Round two?"), and Toph nodded, the grin coming back in full force. She disappeared under the sheets just as Sokka said to Zuko, "Not even close."

Zuko whimpered, suddenly believing in karma.


	13. Spit

**Prompt 13: Spit (#16)**

A/N: This one took longer than expected - also fluff!

* * *

"Hey, Toph."

Sokka lounged against the side of Appa's saddle, picking idly at his ear. The boredom of the journey had taken its toll on the swordsman, as he yawned and started fiddling absentmindedly with his boomerang.

The blind girl sitting beside him tilted her head as a sign of attention, a cue that Sokka had picked up on early in their travels. Even years later, she had retained the same habits she had in her childhood - some things never changed.

Even though the Gaang wasn't able to spend as much time together as before, occasionally getting together for a surprise adventure to save the world once again made the old times feel all the sweeter and more sentimental. Just the four of them against the world, with none of the responsibilities of their new lives to tie them down.

The old times didn't involve the oogies, either.

"Aang and Katara are making kissy faces at each other again," Sokka grumbled.

In the old times, his sister and Aang didn't make out and hold hands and cuddle at every possible opportunity. It was like they were joined at the hip or something, they were so inseparable. Sokka grimaced as the couple unleashed another wave of oogies as blinding as the sun, their 'quiet' giggling and loving murmurs easily reaching Sokka's ears given the quiet environment.

"Spirits, I can _hear_ the oogie." Toph shuddered. Sokka gave her a sideways glance, more out of curiosity than anything. In the three years - _Spirits, it's been three years_ \- since the end of the war, Toph had grown from a little girl who ran away from home to a confident young woman who has found her place in the world.

But, there was one subject that she never brought up during their meetings - _romance_. It seemed impossible for Toph to be immune to that affliction that all teenagers suffered from, yet she displayed no inclination of the sort towards it.

"I don't get it," the earthbender continued, "isn't kissing just, like, exchanging spit? Sounds kinda gross to me."

Sokka gave that statement a solid ten seconds to ferment in his mind, before he had to suppress a laugh. Trust Toph to think of a way to make an expression of love sound gross. The laugh came out as a snort instead, and Toph punched him in the shoulder for laughing.

"What?" Toph snapped, irritably. "It's true!"

Sokka smirked, reaching over and ruffling Toph's hair - that was another thing he couldn't do before. He wasn't sure when he became confident enough to do so, before Toph would have earthbent him into the sky, or maybe just clocked him in the head, but both Toph and Sokka had grown up since that time.

"It's more than that, though." Sokka said, suddenly realizing that in that area, Sokka had far more experience than Toph. He closed his eyes, reminiscing the more nostalgic times, when things were at once simpler and more complicated.

He sighed, feeling a pang of jealousy wash over him as he regarded his sister and Aang. He was happy for them, of course, but he couldn't help but feel wistful for better times. Yue was… still a sore experience. He was grateful, but it sometimes kept him up at night. Suki was his first experience at a real relationship - including the falling out of love. They simply couldn't keep up a relationship with the distance between them, and though they still cared for each other as friends, the love between them had waned.

"How much more could it be?" Toph huffed, crossing her arms - though not stopping the ruffling. Her face was slightly red, though Sokka didn't think much on it. It was probably just part of the small and angry deal that she had going on. "You touch lips and be gross about it. Done."

"Well," Sokka scratched his chin, thinking of a way to explain things to Toph. "When you kiss someone - and I mean, really kiss someone, out of love and all - it's… I don't know. It feels magical. The world sort of just… fades away, I guess, until there's just you, and the person you love. You become aware of everything about them - their warmth. Their smell. Their voice. The moment stretches on and on, and you never want it to end. It's cliched, I know, but…"

He stopped, realizing that he was starting to ramble. He glanced at Toph, and was surprised to find her lost in thought, her expression unmistakably one of a person deep in thought. She had a faint smile on her face, and there was a slight blush about her.

"…Wow." She breathed, looking starstruck for a moment before catching herself and shaking her head. "Uh- I mean, wow, that's real sappy of you, Princess. Didn't know you had it in you."

Sokka snorted - there was the Toph he knew and loved.

"So basically, you touch lips and exchange spit," he concluded sarcastically. "Come on, don't ruin this for me."

"Whatever." Toph gave him a solid punch in the arm, leaning against him afterwards. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me when we land for dinner."

"Aye aye, captain." Sokka gave her a pat on the head, and Toph turned her head away from him to hide the rich blush blossomed on her face. Resting her had against Sokka's shoulder, she drifted quickly off to sleep, thinking about what Sokka had told her.

* * *

It was nearing nightfall. The group had settled around a campfire, quietly eating their dinner. Aang and Katara naturally were sitting together, enjoying a vegetarian stew, while Sokka and Toph were working their way through a platter of roasted meat.

The fire flickered, casting the group in a warm, orange glow. Sokka tried to focus on eating, but the flickering firelight kept bringing his attention to Toph. He stopped eating the roast meat kebab he had in his hand, unable to tear his eyes away from the girl.

When did she lose the baby fat around her cheeks? When he thought back to the adventuring days, she had a distinctly childlike appearance, her cheeks round and her features soft. She had a cute, impish air about her back then. Her face was still round now - it was just the way she was - but now they were more defined, giving her a more rough-and-tumble, tough-girl appeal.

Not that there wasn't softness to her. He could see, under the tough surface, the caring friend that he's grown to love.

Love.

Love?

Sokka blinked, momentarily dazed. The tightness in his chest could not be mistaken for anything else. It was the same rush of indescribable emotion he felt when he first laid eyes on Yue, or when he was with Suki.

Yet, it was different. Not as overwhelming. He could feel an undercurrent of something deeper with her, driven not by passion, but trust built up over countless adventures. How long had that been there? Sokka couldn't even remember. It just… was.

"Hey, Sokka - pass the meat." Toph said, holding out a hand.

Sokka started - he had been staring at her face for the last… minute, now? He handed the half-eaten meat kebab to her, and she began tearing through it with gusto.

 _Isn't kissing just, like, exchanging spit?_

"You know, I've already bitten into that," Sokka pointed out.

"Yeah, so?" Toph took another bite.

"Well," Sokka crossed his arms. "My spit's on there. Isn't it 'gross', Toph?"

Toph bit down again, before she blushed. Staring down at the meat kebab, she considered it for a moment, then slowly set the kebab down. "…Ew."

"Ew?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. "We've been sharing good food for years, and now you think it's gross?"

"Maybe I've developed a taste for cleanliness." Toph said. Sokka raised his eyebrow further, and Toph looked away petulantly despite not being able to see him. "Don't look at me like that."

Sokka leaned closer, giving her a comically exaggerated squint. "Like what?"

She glared at him. "Like I'm a kid. I can tell."

"Only a kid would think sharing spit is gross." Sokka said, his expression shifting to a more serious one. He leaned even closer, and Toph could feel his breath tickling her cheek. Her heart hammered in her chest at the proximity but she didn't let it show - though when she felt _his_ heartbeat skyrocket, she felt a hot flush rise to her cheeks.

"I'm not a kid." Toph insisted, leaning closer herself.

"Prove it." Sokka breathed. Toph narrowed her eyes - a challenge was a challenge, no matter in what form.

She took the plunge, leaning forward completely, as did Sokka, and their lips met mid way.

She was dimly aware of Katara's high pitched squealing, and Aang's laughter. But they didn't matter, they weren't _him._ They didn't matter - all that did was her and Sokka and their lips locked together in that singular, magical moment.

 _The world sort of just… fades away._

There was a tingling feeling down her back as she realized Sokka had moved his arms around her, wrapping her into a deep, intimate embrace. She responded in kind, looping her arms around his neck and pushing forward into the kiss. He was warm, she realized. His skin radiated a kind of warmth and happiness that rivaled even the roaring campfire they sat around. He smelled warm, too - of ash from his cooking, and roasted meat, and the heat of the forge that he had gotten so fond of.

Then - he broke off the kiss, though their faces remained millimeters apart. His voice, suddenly deep and magnetic, drew her closer. "I love you, Toph."

 _You become aware of everything about them - their warmth. Their smell. Their voice._

Toph could not stare into his eyes, as she so often heard in the stories, but she could imagine that Sokka was looking deep into hers. She blushed deep crimson at the thought, but she still tilted her head forward, resting her forehead against his.

"I love you too, stupid."

 _The moment stretches on and on, and you never want it to end._

The moment stretched on and on, and she never wanted it to end. It was just her and Sokka, basking in each other's presence.

 _It's cliched, I know, but…_

What a wonderful cliche it was.

Toph smiled, reaching out with a thumb to wipe the corner of Sokka's mouth. "Exchanged spit," she explained, and the two of them grinned, before leaning in for a second go.


	14. Through the Fire

**Prompt 14: Through the Fire (#89)**

A/N: Non-comic compliant. Sorry for the long wait - it's been a crazy week.

* * *

"I can't do this."

Sokka stared up at the immaculate, polished tiled walls of the vast Beifong estate. Standing beside him was Toph, for once wearing a beautiful elaborate silk dress with her hair done up in a delicate bun and coiled braids, a far cry from her usual messy bun. Compared to her, Sokka felt woefully underdressed, even though he was garbed in traditional Water Tribe formal wear - a blue jacket and long dress pants, with white fur on the shoulder seams, cuffs, and embroidered filigree in the shape of waves.

Toph snorted and punched him in the shoulder, causing him to wince and rub gingerly at the perpetual sore spot. "Don't be a sissy, Sokka."

She grabbed him by the wrist and drags him towards the gates, marching past the stunned looking guards and going right up to the ornate wooden gate. "You're the one who got us into this mess, you fix your own problems."

"Technically it's both our problems…" Sokka protested weakly, putting up nominal resistance as he was pulled along. There was no sense in fighting her when she was determined like that, he figured, as they came to a stop in front of the gates.

"Knock." Toph pointed at the knocker. Sokka sighed, steeled his nerves, and reached out apprehensively for the handle. Toph rolled her eyes. "Oh for crying out loud, it's not like you're going to fight Ozai or anything."

"I'd rather fight Ozai right now," Sokka muttered nervously, giving the gate a nice, firm knock. "Ozai and Azula. Throw evil Zuko in there as well."

"Sokka, I'm sure as intolerable they are, Mom and Dad are _not_ that bad." Toph grumbled, switching the grip on his wrist to his hand. Despite her annoyed tone, Sokka felt a weight lift from his chest when he felt her slender fingers intertwine around his. With a decidedly softer tone, she continued, "Come on. Lets just get this over with, then we can go home."

As though on cue, the gates swung open, and the couple were met with the sight of the idyllic Beifong garden - and the less idyllic sight of Lao and Poppy Beifong standing at the door, staring at the pair with an inscrutable expression. "You're late," Lao Beifong said, matter-of-factly, addressing Toph and completely ignoring Sokka.

Toph's grip on Sokka's hand tightened. "We got held up." She said, tightly. Turning to her mother, she bowed her head slightly, and Sokka, slightly at a loss, followed suit mutely. "Mom. It's been a while."

"Ah-" Poppy started, as though coming out of a daydream, and bowed her head in return. "Yes, dear. It's been too long. We absolutely must catch up - Lao, don't you think so?" She smiled, though Sokka could hear a hint of desperation in her voice.

Catching on, Sokka nodded. "Uh- yeah, maybe we could take this… discussion inside?"

Toph squeezed his hand hard, which Sokka understood to be a gesture of anger. "Yeah, let's go." She growled. Lao nodded subtly, and turned on his heels, sweeping past his wife and heading stoically towards the Beifong house proper. Poppy gave the pair an apologetic look before following in the stead of her husband.

Once her parents were out of earshot, she punched Sokka in the arm, giving him an angry hiss. "I thought you wanted this over quickly. We could have gotten his opinion and be out of here."

"Seeing your parents was _your_ idea." Sokka said evenly, pulling an unwilling Toph towards her parents.

"Well, I changed my mind. It's obvious he doesn't like us. Let's go." Toph grunted, pulling him in the opposite direction.

"Toph." Sokka sighed. "They're your parents."

"So?" Toph snapped irritably, pulling free of Sokka's hand and crossing her arms. "They're clearly still as much a pain as they were when I left. I don't see why they'd even say yes."

"They'll say yes because they're your parents." Sokka said, firmly. "That, and because you won't take no for an answer."

"Toph, dear?" Poppy's voice called out from the direction of the house. "Would you like to come in?"

"We need to settle this, Toph." Sokka said, taking Toph's hand. "You know it'll bother you later on if you don't."

Toph sighed. Sometimes she wished Sokka didn't know her as well as he did. "Fine. Whatever."

Sokka smiled, and the pair started towards the Beifong house.

* * *

Lao Beifong did not miss his daughter's hand entwined with the hand of the Water Tribe commoner - and he did not like it one bit. He scowled, already planning the stern reprimand he would have for Toph, when he caught sight of the small, almost imperceptible smile on his wife's face.

"What exactly are you happy about, Poppy?" Lao demanded, turning to look at her incredulously. "Our daughter returns after _years_ of neglect and she brings back a Water Tribe peasant. You've seen them together, you know exactly why she's come back. She wishes to be with some backwater tribesman who likely knows little more than fishing and building snow-huts."

"Well…" Poppy looked back at the pair in the distance, speaking amongst themselves, before finally starting off towards the Beifong mansion. "They look happy together, don't they?"

"They _look_ happy, of course." Lao sniffed, striding through the mansion doors and heading for the guest dining room. "But all youngsters who think they've found the one for them look happy."

"Yes, but…" Poppy sighed. "You're right, of course. It's for her own good."

"She needs a man who can support her, Poppy." Lao sighed heavily. "She thinks she can run around and adventure forever, but that boy can't support a family when the time comes."

"Maybe so." Poppy turned to look at the approaching couple. The Beifongs seated themselves in the familiar dining room where Aang and Co first ate with the Beifongs during their first meeting. "Maybe so."

Toph and Sokka eventually made their way into the dining room - Toph somewhat unwillingly, with Sokka showing some apprehension as well - and they sat down opposite to Poppy and Lao, Toph glaring daggers and Sokka looking between her and Lao like a bird stuck between hungry foxes.

"So…" Poppy started, uncomfortably pushing cups of tea delivered by a maid forward. "Tea?"

Toph took the tea and sipped at it murderously. Sokka took the tea awkwardly and sipped at it gingery. Lao ignored the tea. Poppy gave Sokka an uneasy glance, as though imploring him to do something about the dense silence.

Sokka fidgeted, and was about to speak, when Lao suddenly broke the silence, leaning forward and staring directly at the young man. "What are your intentions with my daughter?" It was a calm, even statement, but the threats implied by the words were not lost on Sokka.

Suddenly finding his mouth very dry, Sokka shifted in his seat before breathing deeply. "I- _we-_ want your permission for me to court your daughter."

Lao pursed his lips, staring at Sokka with piercing eyes borne of a life in business and elite society. "I see." He muttered, finally bringing the cup to his lips and taking a slow, long sip. "I refuse."

Sokka closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. Toph, on the other hand, shot to her feet, slamming her palms against the table with a loud _bang_. "Why?!" Toph demanded, her clouded eyes burning with anger. "Are you just _that_ determined to _ruin my life_?!"

"Believe it or not, I am trying to _save_ it." Lao said, coldly. "You are still young. You don't know how the world works, and you have no idea what's good for you."

"I'm perfectly aware of what's good for me, Dad," Toph seethed. "He's a good man, he understands me, and he loves me - unlike _someone_ here."

Lao matched her angry glare evenly, though she could feel his heart rate spike when she uttered the last sentence. "What good is all that when you've been abandoned on the streets because he can't afford to support you anymore? He looks like he barely has a coin to his name, let alone enough to feed a family."

" _Lao!_ " Poppy said, aghast at his words. "You're going too far-"

"You have no idea who Sokka is." Toph interrupted, her voice suddenly frighteningly quiet. "You barely even know _me_."

Lao's expression hardened. "You are young, and confused, and have no idea what the future has in store for you. You're willing to throw away a life of contentment to spend your days with some Water Tribe peasant who doesn't even know how to hold a tea cup. _I know exactly who you are._ "

"You're _wrong_." Toph said, simply. Turning around, she swept past the doorway and out of sight, slamming the door shut hard enough to buckle in the door frame. Poppy stood up quickly, rushing to catch up with her daughter, leaving Sokka and Lao alone in the room.

Lao slumped, suddenly seeming haggard and exhausted. Grabbing his tea, he abandoned all pretense of class, and downed the whole cup. Sighing, he looked away from the cup and Sokka, focusing on a painting hanging on the wall.

Following his stare, Sokka studied the painting closely. It was a family portrait, a younger Toph standing between a happy looking Lao and Poppy. The real Lao stared wistfully at the painting, and after a few moments, Sokka muttered, "You know, it was her idea to talk to you."

Lao jumped, looking at him in confusion. "She… it was?"

"I was pretty sure you'd say no." Sokka said, sipping his tea to mask his nervousness. "She was convinced that she could make you see sense."

"'Sense?'" Lao snorted. "She has no idea what the word means."

"Yeah, I figured," Sokka steeled his nerves and stared directly at Lao. "After all, she trusted that you would understand her."

Lao stiffened, looking sharply at the young man. "You tread on thin ice, _boy_. Don't think that just because you travelled with her for a few years that you know her better than her father." He stole another glance at the painting.

"She's not Toph, you know." Sokka said, quietly. He gestured at the Toph in the painting. "The perfect little lady. That's not Toph."

Lao grimaced, looking away from Sokka as though to avoid his gaze. "Toph's not prim and delicate. She's a fighter. She's talented, and charming, and damn well able to take care of herself. She wants to see the world, not be dressed up and told to play tea party like a life-sized doll. She's been lying to you for almost as long as you knew her, and you don't even know it."

"Stop talking." Lao growled.

Ignoring him, Sokka continued. "She's been struggling against your 'protection' and 'privilege' since she learned how to walk, running away just so she could be _herself_. Toph has every right to hate you, you know. You've been suffocating her all this time, preventing her from showing the world who she _really_ is. But she doesn't hate you. She still loves you, however hard it may be for her to do that."

" _Stop talking._ " Lao said again, this time more angrily.

"So what's the first thing you do with that love and trust? You throw it all away because her and I being together doesn't match the perfect little world you had planned for her." Sokka said, standing up. "Look, I'm sorry that I'm not rich, or prestigious, or related to some distant noble living in a golden palace. I'm just a swordsman who loves your daughter more than the world, and if you can't accept that as being enough to make her happy, then…"

"SILENCE!" Lao stood up suddenly, pointing furiously at Sokka. "You have no idea what you're doing. She could have had the _world_. If she's tied down to you, all she's going to be is a spirits-damned commoner who can barely scrape by day to day with nothing to hope for in the world, and it'll all be _your fault._ "

"Clearly," Sokka said calmly, "You don't know the first thing about your daughter." Turning around, he strode from the room after Toph and Poppy, leaving Lao alone with his thoughts.

* * *

" _Toph._ " Poppy called out in exasperation. "Please, just… wait!"

"I know when I'm not welcome, Mom." Toph growled, walking through the garden at a brisk pace. "I'm _leaving._ "

"Honey, please," Poppy pleaded, walking up and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Your father's just… concerned."

"Well, he's welcome to stop caring." Toph spat, stopping reluctantly. "I have."

"Toph, he's your father. He can't just… stop caring about you," Poppy said. "That's just not how it works."

"Well, he's gonna have to make it work." Toph crossed her arms. "I'm going to be with Sokka and that's just how things are going to be. He can either deal with it, or stay the hell away. I'm not going to give him another chance to ruin my life again."

"Toph-" Poppy tried again, but was cut off once more.

"I'm _sick_ and _tired_ of him being obsessed with being rich and famous and prestigious. Can't he see that all I want is to be happy? I don't need what he offers."

"He wants you to be happy too, Toph." Poppy said quietly, and Toph stopped in her tracks, though she itched to bolt and leave the place behind.

"Your father - the Beifongs fell on hard times when he was a child. Your grandfather was not the businessman your father or great grandfather was, and the war ruined what little business the family had. They came close to starvation, Toph. They were ruined." Poppy explained.

"When your father came to age, he managed to restore the family fortune - but he resolved that no Beifong need ever live like a commoner again. Arranged marriage is already a common practice, and Lao believes that he can make sure you live long and happy if you are married to a rich, affluent young noble that can support you as well as the Beifong treasury can."

"Mom." Toph sighed. "That's not going to make me happy."

"I know, honey." Poppy sighed as well, wrapping Toph into a hug. "I know."

"Why can't he just accept that I want to be with Sokka?"

"Your father is… stubborn. Like you." Poppy murmured. "He's as much your father as you are his daughter, Toph. You have to understand that."

She looked up when she heard footsteps approach, and smiled weakly when she saw Sokka walking up to them. Holding out a hand, Sokka spoke up. "Come on, Toph. We should go now."

Toph breathed in deeply, and nodded slowly, taking Sokka's hand. "…Okay."

"It's been an honor meeting you, Lady Beifong." Sokka nodded politely to Poppy, and she bowed her head in reply.

"And you, Sokka of the Water Tribe." Poppy said, diplomatically, before reaching out and grasping both their hands. "Please - stay safe. Be happy. Don't… don't waste what you two have."

Sokka smiled at that, while Toph simply stepped closer to Sokka. "We will," he promised.

"I'll write," Toph said. "Well. He'll write. But… we'll stay in touch this time."

"Of course." Poppy let go of their hands. "Now, you two go on. I'll… talk to your father."

Nodding a final farewell, the couple departed the Beifong estate, starting the trek back to where they parked the borrowed Appa.

* * *

A week later, Toph and Sokka received a letter in the mail. It had no writing on the outside, but on the inside, it read:

 _Dear Toph,_

 _I'm sorry. I was a fool, blinded by what I thought was right and unable to see what you really need. I see, now. I see that you've become a capable young woman, more than I could ever have imagined. I wasn't protecting you from the world - I was committing a grave injustice by denying the world your talents for so long. I don't know what I can do to make up for the miserable childhood I forced upon you, so all I can offer are the contents of the Beifong coffers. That, and something I should have said to you face to face._

 _Love whomever you see fit, Toph. If that Water Tribe boy makes you happy, then be happy. As a parent, I can't hope for anymore than that._

 _I pray that in time, I can prove myself worthy of your forgiveness. For now, I can only apologize once more._

 _I love you,_

 _Dad_

By the time Sokka had finished reading it out, Toph was crying.


End file.
